Friday, February 15, 2008

Prestone Windshield De-Icer and Fluid Booster review

There once was a time when my handy ice scraper was a cassette tape holder.

Yes siree, I cleared a lot of windows with that clear plastic box that once held my copy of Def Leppard Hysteria.

You would think I would have gotten myself a real, honest to goodness ice scraper with the harsh bristle brush on the other end, but you would be wrong. I was 18. I had far more important things to think about than the condition of my 1981 Chevy Monte Carlo's windows. I'm sure my parents bought me one, or five, but they never managed to stay in my car. Funny how that happens. Maybe it was my subconscious reinforcing my hatred for scraping icy windows.

But that was a long time ago. I don't drive a 1981 Chevy Monte Carlo anymore - thank the Lawd - and I am much more concerned with the condition of my car windows. Especially when I'm carrying precious cargo. Like my two year old daughter.

However, I still hate scraping. I hate it with a passion and will avoid it at all costs.

Living in New England makes clearing a windshield of ice and snow a necessity, so what is a woman like myself, a woman who has only parted with her cassette tape covers very recently, to do?

Then the weather wouldn't cooperate. No ice to be seen. Lots of snow and slush, but no need to physically scrape. My husband had a chance to use it once and was very happy with the results, but it's still sitting in my car just begging for an icy windshield to clear. And it will. Oh yes, it will. That will never leave my car, unlike the amazing disappearing 99 cent plastic ice scrapers my parents kept putting in my Christmas stockings.

I have had the opportunity to use the Windshield Fluid Booster and I'm pleased to say my windshield has stayed amazingly clear even with all the nasty, dirty slush that gets kicked up into my field of vision. Come to think of it, the Fluid Booster is supposed to help keep ice from refreezing on car windshields while you're driving. Maybe that's why I haven't had to clear as many windows as usual? Hmm...

It takes a bit of chemistry to make these products work so I don't think you could ever call the Windshield Fluid Booster or the Windshield De-Icer "green" or eco-friendly. If you're trying to help the environment but you still want to be able to see through car's windshield even in bad weather, these Prestone products should be used sparingly. But they work so well, why would you need to over use them?

Would I recommend Prestone Windshield Fluid Booster and/or De-Icer to my friends? Maybe not to my extreme, tree-hugging friends but to the people in my life who just want a safe drive on a tough New England winter day, absolutely.

You'll still need an ice scraper in your car, though. It's hard to clear a windshield with an iPod.